Politics U2AOS1

Parliament

An assembly of elected lawmaking representatives; in Australia, Parliament consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate

Senate

The 'upper' house of Parliament, in which legislation and government actions are reviewed and scrutinised

House of Representatives

The 'lower' house of Parliament, in which the government is formed; sometimes called the House or the Reps

Parliamentarian

A general term for any person elected to either house of Parliament

Member

A person elected to the House of Representatives (e.g. an MP)

Senator

A person elected to the Senate

Government

The parliamentary grouping with majority support in the lower house; forms the executive and implements its agenda

Opposition

The largest party or coalition without majority support in the lower house

Crossbench

Parliamentarians in either house who are neither government nor opposition

Frontbench

MPs from government or opposition who are ministers or shadow ministers; they sit on the front benches

Cabinet

The group of senior ministers (including the PM) who collectively make major decisions and form the core of the executive

Shadow Minister

An opposition member who scrutinises a particular minister's work and explains opposition policy; also called a spokesperson

Minister

A government member given official responsibility and executive authority over a policy area

Portfolio

An area of policy overseen by a responsible minister or shadow minister

Assistant Minister

A junior minister who helps another minister with part of their portfolio; also called a parliamentary secretary

Prime Minister

The head of government who leads the parliamentary grouping with majority support in the lower house, plus Cabinet

Leader of the Opposition

The MP who leads the largest party grouping not in government

Parliamentary Party

A political party with at least one member elected to Parliament

Coalition

An ongoing agreement between two or more parliamentary parties to cooperate and act as a larger group

Party Room

Private gatherings of parliamentary party members to discuss and coordinate strategy, especially on legislation

Whips

Members/senators selected by their party to coordinate members and manage voting strategy

Bill

A document detailing a proposed law; also called legislation

Law

A written rule agreed by both houses and signed by the governor-general, applying to everyone in the jurisdiction; also called an Act of Parliament

Speaker of the House

A member chosen by other members to run House meetings and ensure standing orders are followed

President of the Senate

A senator chosen by other senators to run Senate meetings and ensure standing orders are followed

The Crown

The monarch (king or queen) and their family; one of the historical power groups in the British Westminster system

The Church

Religious officials; one of the historical power groups in the British Westminster system

The Nobility

Hereditary owners of large amounts of land; one of the historical power groups in the British Westminster system

Merchants/capitalists

Those whose wealth came from trade, investment and manufacturing; a historical power group in Britain

Peasants/workers

Those with little wealth who worked the land or factories; a historical power group in Britain

Democracy

'Rule by the people'; a complex structure built on complex ideas and institutions

Free and fair elections (key features)

Regularity (3-year max House term), an impartial umpire (AEC), one vote one value, preferential & compulsory voting, regulated campaigns, public funding, transparent counting

Australian Electoral Commission (AEC)

The independent, nonpartisan body that conducts and supervises Australian elections

One Vote, One Value

The principle that electoral boundaries should give roughly equal numbers of electors per House division

Compulsory voting

All registered voters must vote (in person or by post); helps ensure high turnout, over 90% of eligible voters

Human rights protections in the Constitution

The right to vote, protection against unjust property acquisition, trial by jury, freedom of religion

Implied rights

Rights (like freedom of political communication) established by the High Court even though not written in the Constitution

Watchdogs

Bodies that scrutinise government decision-making; their reports and hearings can encourage political reform

Rule of law

The principle that the law applies equally to all people and government

Presumption of innocence

A rule-of-law feature: a person is assumed innocent until proven guilty

Active participation (Australia)

High turnout due to compulsory voting; participation also includes social media, party membership, campaigns and pressure groups

Equality (democratic principle)

Includes voting rights, legal equality and anti-discrimination protections; challenged by ongoing economic inequality

Exclusive powers

Powers held only by the federal government, e.g. defence, foreign policy, taxation, currency, citizenship

Concurrent powers

Powers shared by federal and state governments, e.g. education and health

Tied grants

Federal funding to states that comes with conditions, letting the federal government influence state policy

Two-party system

Australia's traditional political structure dominated by Labor and the Liberal-National Coalition

Political ideology in Australia today

Since the Cold War, both major parties broadly accept a neoliberal economic approach; differences now centre on social/cultural 'culture wars' issues

Democratic backsliding

A trend where democratic systems are gradually weakened or dismantled, often through legal or political means

Peaceful transfer of power

When a defeated PM visits the governor-general to recommend the opposition leader be appointed PM; a cornerstone of Australian democracy

'First among equals'

The formal principle that the PM/premier is just one member of Cabinet, despite modern media making leaders the central political figures

Leadership spill

An internal party challenge to replace the sitting leader, often driven by concerns over leadership qualities

Media concentration in Australia

One of the highest concentrations of media ownership among democracies; print media dominated largely by News Corp and Nine

Constitution - strength

One of the world's oldest constitutions (10th oldest); provides a stable, enduring democracy; can only be changed via a transparent democratic process

Constitution - weakness

No preamble of principles, no bill of rights, doesn't mention the PM or Cabinet, and contains outdated clauses like the 'race power'

Constitutional monarch - strength

Sits above party politics as a unifying, impartial figure; reflects historical UK links

Constitutional monarch - weakness

Not elected by Australians; not representative of Australia's modern ethnic, cultural and religious diversity

Responsible government - strength

Executive (PM and Cabinet) is accountable to Parliament via Question Time, ministerial responsibility and the opposition

Responsible government - weakness

Conventions like ministerial responsibility are increasingly flouted; other democracies use different, potentially instructive systems

Accountability mechanisms - strength

Regular elections, Question Time, independent media and watchdogs enable effective scrutiny

Accountability mechanisms - weakness

No federal corruption watchdog; media ownership concentration and unregulated social media misinformation weaken accountability

Federalism - strength

Divides responsibilities for greater accountability; Federal Cabinet promotes state-federal cooperation; Senate boosts smaller states' power

Federalism - weakness

State boundaries reflect 1901 colonial lines, not current population; ACT and NT governments can be overruled federally; entrenches malapportionment

Malapportionment

Unequal numbers of parliamentary seats per head of population, breaking 'one vote, one value'

Electoral system - strength

Independent AEC; compulsory voting gives high legitimacy; single-member House seats give stable government while Senate proportional representation includes minor parties

Electoral system - weakness

Malapportionment (e.g. Tasmania overrepresented, NSW/ACT underrepresented in Senate); House electorates can't cross state lines, causing voter-number variation

Public service - strength

Independent, impartial body providing expert advice; Australia ranks 13th of 178 countries on the Corruption Perceptions Index

Public service - weakness

Rising political advisers and outsourcing to private consultants have diminished public service expertise and role; no federal corruption watchdog

Rule of law - strength

Presumption of innocence, protection against unlawful imprisonment, ability to challenge government in courts/media; Australian Law Reform Commission advises on reform

Rule of law - weakness

The separation of powers isn't always respected, with politicians sometimes criticising judicial actions

Rights and freedoms - strength

Constitutional and legislated rights; watchdogs like the Australian Human Rights Commission; Australia ranks highly on global human rights indexes

Rights and freedoms - weakness

No bill of rights in the Constitution (unlike most democracies); Australia criticised by UN agencies over treatment of minorities and refugees